Reeths-Puffer teacher who is Tim Allen's brother accused of "inappropriate contact" with former student, district says

A Reeths-Puffer teacher on paid leave for 16 months is under investigation for “inappropriate contact” with a former student, the school district informed parents this week.

The letter posted on the district's website, www.reeths-puffer.org, explains that the allegation against high school teacher Geoff Marshall was made by a student who graduated in 2005.

Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler confirmed his office is involved in an ongoing investigation. The alleged victim, a female, is a former Reeths-Puffer High School student, he said.

Roesler said the former student alleges “inappropriate physical contact” was made by Marshall while she was a student there. There are “no allegations of sexual intercourse,” Roesler said.

Marshall's attorney Fillipe S. Iorio, based in Grand Rapids, said the accusations against his client are untrue.

“Any allegation of inappropriate contact is unfounded, not true and without any basis and fact,” Iorio said. “Mr. Marshall is an excellent educator and has been a positive influence in the community for over 20 years.

“We have been expecting and patiently waiting for this matter to be closed so that he may return to the classroom. Mr. Marshall appreciates all the support he is receiving from family, friends, colleagues and others in the community.”

Steve Edwards

The district placed automated phone calls to all district parents directing them to read the letter written by Reeths-Puffer Schools Superintendent Steve Edwards. The letter has generated interest on social media sites and Edwards said Thursday he has fielded questions from parents about the letter.

“Hopefully, people believe what we did was in the best interest of student safety,” he said.

Edwards said the district learned of the allegations during Labor Day weekend of 2010.

“A parent of the student alerted a former high school teacher who alerted the high school principal who alerted me,” Edwards said. “The allegations were from prior to her graduation.”

Marshall is an English and theater teacher whose brother is actor Tim Allen, Edwards confirmed. The teacher immediately was placed on paid leave, did not teach in the 2010-11 school year and has remained on paid leave this school year, Edwards said.

Edwards said the district has not made attempts to remove Marshall from the payroll because it has not been able to provide him with “due process” while the criminal investigation has been underway.

“We are not drawing any conclusions as to the teacher's guilt or innocence,” Edwards wrote in his letter to parents. “At this point, authorities have assured us that the alleged incident is isolated and does not involve any other current or former students.”

Edwards explains in the letter that the district was publicly discussing the investigation now because “the media” learned of it. The Chronicle received a tip from a person who claimed to have been interviewed by police about the allegations.

Roesler said his office continues to interview people “in an effort to either substantiate the complaint or clear the complaint.”

“We don't want to leave any stone unturned,” Roesler said. “We owe it to the school community and the community at large to do a thorough investigation.”